African Court's 73rd Ordinary Session is underway in Tanzania
The 73rd Ordinary Session of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights is underway in Arusha, the United Republic of Tanzania, as the judges are expected to deliver judgements on five (5) cases on Tuesday, June 4.
The delivery of judgements will start at 10:00 AM, marking the commencement of the 73rd Ordinary Session of the African Court, which started on June 3rd and is scheduled to run up to June 28, 2024.
Judgements will be delivered in the following cases: Dominick Damian v. the United Republic of Tanzania; Nzigiyimana Zabron v. the United Republic of Tanzania; Amadou Dembele and Others v. the Republic of Mali; Kabalabala Kadumbangula and Another v. the United Republic of Tanzania; and Goh Taudier and Others v. the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire.
Ms. Chipiliro Kansilanga, African Court Senior Information and Communication Officer, Head of Communication Unit in a document made available to the Communication for Development and Advocacy (CDA Consult), communicate2develop@gmail.com, which is a development communication advocacy non-governmental organisation based in Tema, Ghana, stated.
According to the timetable for the African Court, the delivery of decisions will be accessible via live streaming in both English and French.
During the session, the African Court will also deal with other administrative matters.
According to the African Court mandate, it had jurisdiction over all cases and disputes submitted to it concerning the interpretation and application of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Charter).
It also focuses on the Protocol and any other relevant human rights instrument ratified by the States concerned; specifically, the African Court has two types of jurisdiction: contentious and advisory.
The African Court also had the power to receive cases filed by the African Commission of Human and Peoples’ Rights, state parties to the Protocol, or African intergovernmental organisations.
‘Non-governmental organisations with observer status before the African Commission and individuals can also institute cases directly before the African Court as long as the state against which they are complaining has deposited the Article 34(6) declaration recognising the jurisdiction of the African Court to accept cases from individuals and NGOs.
The African Court is a continental court established by Member States of the AU by virtue of Article One of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights to ensure the protection of human and people's rights in Africa.
The mandate of the African Court is to complement and reinforce the functions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Commission, often referred to as the Banjul Commission), which is a quasi-judicial body charged with monitoring the implementation of the Charter.
The Protocol establishing the African Court was adopted on June 9, 1998, in Burkina Faso and came into force on January 25, 2004, after it was ratified by more than 15 countries.
The African Court holds Ordinary Sessions four times a year, lasting for four weeks, usually in March, May, September, and November, and holds Extra-Ordinary Sessions if necessary.
The sittings normally take place at the seat of the Court; however, the Court may decide to sit in any other Member State of the African Union.